Garden bugs: Friend or foe?

STEVE WHYSALL, Vancouver Sun05.04.2012

The Bug Lady: Jessica Dawe has her hands full with her alternative to pesticedes.
/ Vancouver Sun

Cutworm.. If you see damage, look for them, especially during late afternoon and evening when they are more active, just under the soil surface, or you can use BTK biological insecticide if they are a bigger problem.

Ant. You’ll never totally get rid of ants, so don’t expect to. They thrive in places where it is dry and there is rotting wood and plenty of leaf matter and where they can be left undisturbed. The key is to reduce the population to a tolerable number.

Green lacewing. You can buy packets of them for aphid control but, in reality, if you have a big aphid problem, lacewings are probably already in your garden

Ground beetle. Prevention is your best defence. Maintain your lawn, ensuring a deep, healthy root system. Or you can also water in nematodes in the third week of July when grubs are at their most vulnerable and closer to the surface.
/ Vancouver Sun

Stink Bug. The stink bug is a minor foe because it pierces leaves and sucks sap. Most live on trees and shrubs, particularly birch and willow. They are more scary when they suddenly turn up close to you … and they do stink, if you grab them, producing a smelly liquid as a defensive measure.
/ Vancouver Sun

Aphid. This is the No. 2 problem bug in the garden after snails and slugs.
/ Vancouver Sun

Earwig. Rarely a huge problem, but they can be annoying, damaging dahlias and chrysanthemums. Earwigs are fast moving insects and have a pair of pincer-like appendages at the tip of the abdomen.

Spittle bug. They do minor damage to plants by sucking sap from the leaf stems and causing growth to be stunted. If you have a lot of them, first try washing them off with a jet of water. If the problem persists, use insecticidal soap.
/ Vancouver Sun

People can buy a package of 3,000 ladybugs and put them in their garden where the bugs will eat aphids.Bill Keay
/ Vancouver Sun

Pillbug. You can pick up a natural pyrethrum-based insecticide to reduce the population to a more tolerable level. Some gardeners claim feeding them corn meal works, too. They apparently gorge themselves to death.
/ Vancouver Sun

Wasp. Try putting out a shallow pan of sugary liquid (one part sugar to four parts water) and provide a sloping rock as a landing pad. Or invest in wasp traps or a bug zapper.
/ Vancouver Sun

Whitefly. Usually more of a problem in a greenhouse than outside, these are tiny, moth-like insects that suck sap.
/ Vancouver Sun

Centipede. They will attack creatures far bigger than themselves, especially slugs, grubs and insects in their infancy.
/ Vancouver Sun

Naturalist Kristine Bauder shows off a couple of slugs. We have to concede that slugs also do some good by processing dead and decaying leaves, turning them back into organic material that enhances the soil. They are also food, in their infant form, to things like centipedes and ground beetles.
/ Sterling News Service

Sheila Kelton’s front lawn has been torn up by crows and raccoons digging up the larvae of the European chafer bettle.Ian Smith
/ Vancouver Sun

Ground beetle. Prevention is your best defence. Maintain your lawn, ensuring a deep, healthy root system. Or you can also water in nematodes in the third week of July when grubs are at their most vulnerable and closer to the surface.
/ Vancouver Sun

European chafer beetles. Prevention is your best defence. Maintain your lawn, ensuring a deep, healthy root system. Or you can also water in nematodes in the third week of July when grubs are at their most vulnerable and closer to the surface.Ward Perrin
/ PNG

Related

Before you squish, slap or stomp out of existence that poor defenceless creepy-crawly in your garden, it might be worth pausing to consider whether it is a friend or foe.

Not all insects are pests; some are beneficial and they’re actually on your side.

Fact is, you will probably find that even what you think of as foes serve a purpose in the grander scheme of things.

And, maybe, you won’t want to kill it, but rather deter it or relocate it or, well, give it some better options. That’s the organic, eco-friendly, sustainable gardening approach.

So let’s take a look at the main characters (pests and beneficial predators) that inhabit your little patch.

Slugs

Probably the most annoying pest in coastal gardens, they nibble into tatters the leaves of defenceless plants, especially hostas and ligularia. Often, our initial impulse is to smite them.

But attitudes have changed. We have to concede that slugs also do some good by processing dead and decaying leaves, turning them back into organic material that enhances the soil. They are also food, in their infant form, to things like centipedes and ground beetles.

First, consider controlling slug populations. If you keep collecting them and relocating them, very quickly there won’t be enough slugs to do much damage.

The alternative is to use enviro-friendly baits containing ferric phosphate, a natural compound found in soil. Look for Scott’s EcoSense Slug and Snail Bait or Safer’s Slug and Snail Bait, both toxic to mollusks but safe for humans, pets, birds and insects.

Another control method is to use copper barrier strips around plants. These apparently give slugs a slight electric shock, which deters them.

You could also try setting up a pub for slugs. Pour a small amount of beer into a container. Sink the container into the ground. Slugs are attracted by the smell of yeast and drink themselves to death.

Ground Beetles

These beautiful, black, hard-shelled creatures are strong and confident. Living under boards, stones and logs, they eat caterpillars and other soft-bellied grubs, such as baby slugs and cutworms as well as some insects in leaf matter. Mostly nocturnal, ground beetles pop up during the day when accidentally disturbed.

Rather than stomping on them, try to encourage them by putting down mulch or planting ground covers to protect the soil.

Centipedes

Fast moving, they can be aggressive, not afraid to give you a nip. They will attack creatures far bigger than themselves, especially slugs, grubs and insects in their infancy.

Centipedes have legs (about 30, not 100) sticking out at the sides.

The millipede, by comparison, is a very different creature; more wormlike, slow moving with a habit of rolling into a ball for defence rather than running away. They do more good than harm.

Spittlebugs

These live in a protective foamy substance sometimes called “cuckoo spit.” Spittlebugs are tiny green creatures. You can squeeze them out of their cocoon of spit. They do minor damage to plants by sucking sap from the leaf stems and causing growth to be stunted. Wait a few weeks and they will be done. If you have a lot of them, first try washing them off with a jet of water. If the problem persists, use insecticidal soap.

Earwigs

Rarely a huge problem, but they can be annoying, damaging dahlias and chrysanthemums. Earwigs are fast moving insects and have a pair of pincer-like appendages at the tip of the abdomen. They will nibble holes in flower petals, but on the positive side they also nosh on aphids, grubs and soft-bellied insects. You can trap them by stuffing crumpled newspaper into an upside down flower pot. Shake them into a bucket of soapy water to drown them, or relocate them.

Ladybugs

Definitely one of the gardener’s friends, we want to encourage them to stay put, not “fly away home.” The only reason they will leave is if your garden has not enough food. Which means, you need a few aphids.

You can buy bags of ladybugs but the moment you release them they often fly to the neighbour’s garden where there is a better banquet. They will eat all the aphids you can provide, unless you have ants stopping them. Deal with the ants, if you have only a minor aphid problem, and you’ll get more ladybugs.

Green lacewing

This is called “a dear and wonderful friend” by some gardeners because it gobbles up copious amounts of spider mites, leafhoppers, caterpillars and thrips. Lacewings are also known as aphid lions because of their voracious appetite.

Attract them by planting flowers rich in pollen and nectar (feverfew, yarrow, daisies).

You can buy packets of them for aphid control but, in reality, if you have a big aphid problem, lacewings are probably already in your garden.

Stink bug

This could alarm you when you first see it. It has a sturdy shield-like back that is as hard as a seashell. The stink bug is a minor foe because it pierces leaves and sucks sap. Most live on trees and shrubs, particularly birch and willow. They are more scary when they suddenly turn up close to you … and they do stink, if you grab them, producing a smelly liquid as a defensive measure.

Wasps

Yes, they are a major pest, especially when you are trying to enjoy a nice meal outside. You have to realize that part of the reason is that their own food supply has disappeared and they are starving. I know: You don’t care. Some experts suggest we should put out feeding stations on the premise that a hungry wasp is an angry wasp, but not a fed wasp. Try putting out a shallow pan of sugary liquid (one part sugar to four parts water) and provide a sloping rock as a landing pad. Or invest in wasp traps or a bug zapper.

Aphids

This is the No. 2 problem bug in the garden after snails and slugs. These legless sapsuckers live in colonies and love to feed on the stems of plants, especially roses. They are often herded like cows by ants that milk them for their sweet secretions. Best way to deal with an aphid infestation: Simply wash them off the plant with a jet of water from a hose. Once they hit the ground, they are unable to climb back up.

Another solution is to attract beneficial predators, such as ladybugs, lacewings, aphid parasites (aphidius) and aphid midgets (aphidoletes).

Cutworms

These are not worms at all but grubs that will eventually turn into night-flying moths. They are called cutworms because they cut down seedlings as they feed on stems at or below the soil surface. There are also species of climbing cutworms that move up plants and feed upon foliage, buds and shoots. Common vegetable hosts include asparagus, bean, cabbage, carrot, celery, lettuce, peas, pepper, potato and tomato. Find them by getting down on your knees to cultivate the soil and they will appear. If you see damage, look for them, especially during late afternoon and evening when they are more active, just under the soil surface, or you can use BTK biological insecticide if they are a bigger problem.

Whiteflies

Usually more of a problem in a greenhouse than outside, these are tiny, moth-like insects that suck sap. They fly into the air when disturbed. They can be captured on yellow sticky paper. You will find ready-made traps at the garden centre. The other solution is an insecticidal soap spray.

Ants

You’ll never totally get rid of ants, so don’t expect to. They thrive in places where it is dry and there is rotting wood and plenty of leaf matter and where they can be left undisturbed. The key is to reduce the population to a tolerable number. Do this by finding the nest and killing the colony by pouring boiling water on it or by using an ant spray. In July, don’t be surprised to see winged queen ants spilling out of their nests to mate and form new colonies. There are various sprays and baits on the market. Some contain pyrethrum, the botanical insecticide found naturally in chrysanthemums. Others contain permethrin, a common synthetic chemical that kills ants on contact. Other ant-killers have D-Trans allethrin and benzisothiazolinone. Powder baits contain ant-killing dust such as carbaryl. The best solution is to keep reducing the populations to a tolerable size.

Sowbugs and pill bugs

These both like moist, dark places. Sowbugs, a relation of crabs and lobsters, are sometimes called “wood lice.” The pillbug can do something the sowbug can’t — roll into a ball when threatened. They both eat decaying leaves and rarely have anything to do with plants.

You get rid of them by changing the environment to make them move elsewhere. Or you can pick up a natural pyrethrum-based insecticide to reduce the population to a more tolerable level. Some gardeners claim feeding them corn meal works, too. They apparently gorge themselves to death.

Weevils

Black vine weevil is the big problem here. It looks like a ground beetle only with a prominent snout.

As plump white grubs overwinter in the soil, weevil larvae start feeding on roots in spring. The adult weevils appear in June into July and immediately start to feed on leaves of rhododendrons, viburnum, camellias and azaleas. They also lay eggs in the soil to start the cycle again.

You can catch weevils as adults because they drop easily from plants when the bush is shaken. Spread a sheet of paper or tray under the shrub and shake. Dispose of the weevils by dropping them into soapy water. Sticky traps can be placed around shrubs. Pyrethrin sprays can control populations. Nematodes can be watered into the surrounding ground to attack larvae. The best results are achieved when the ground is warm in late summer when larvae are starting to burrow into roots. They’re also sold in spring but the ground is often too cold and therefore the nematodes are less effective.

European chafer beetle

Skunks and crows and raccoons make a mess of the lawn in spring hunting for these grubs. Best thing you can do is stomp down the tufts of grass and re-seed when the wrecking crew has finished, usually by April and May.

Prevention is your best defence. Maintain your lawn, ensuring a deep, healthy root system. Or you can also water in nematodes in the third week of July when grubs are at their most vulnerable and closer to the surface. These organisms will attack and destroy the baby chafer beetle in its grub-form.

swhysall@vancouversun.com

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Garden bugs: Friend or foe?

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